CES 2017 | Razer unveils concept laptop for multi-monitor immersive gaming

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Razer revealed a multi-monitor laptop computer concept that sets a new standard for immersive entertainment and multipurpose portable computing at the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Dubbed “Project Valerie,” the system is the world’s first portable laptop with three built-in monitors. Each 17.3-inch 4K IGZO display is equipped with Nvidia G-Sync technology that is capable of producing the smoothest possible framerates and expansive 180 degree Nvidia Surround View gaming. Creative professionals can look forward to 100 percent Adobe RGB color accuracy and the greatest amount of screen real estate ever assembled in a single computer.

Project Valerie uses an automatic deployment mechanism designed by Razer. Each display mechanically slides out of the side of the main screen and adjusts into place, making it easy for users to deploy. With integrated multi-monitor support, users will no longer have to deal with the cable clutter from traditional desktop setups. The result is a clean gaming and working environment that’s just as easy to maintain.

“The complexities of a traditional multi-monitor setup are a thing of the past with Project Valerie,” says Razer co-founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan. “Equally important, the power of a desktop computer and graphics capabilities of three top-end monitors are included in the system. There is no shortcoming in the way of performance in the face of its amazing portability and features.”

Project Valerie adds to the professional capabilities of the new 17-inch Razer Blade Pro. The system was conceived with enthusiasts and power users in mind who want multitasking capabilities and desktop performance on the go. Packed with more screens than previously possible in a notebook, Razer’s Project Valerie is capable of handling virtually any PC task, anytime, anywhere.

The proposed system retains the iconic Razer design, while at the same time accommodating triple-monitors. A unibody CNC aluminum chassis measures just 1.5-inches thick and weighs less than 12 pounds. An included compact AC adapter is much smaller than similarly powered systems, furthering complementing Project Valerie’s mobility.

Project Valerie retains the remarkable thermal management system for which Razer’s line of laptops is known. A custom-designed fan and dynamic heat exchangers pair with a vapor chamber to maximize heat dissipation.

Project Valerie is the second Razer notebook to utilize Razer’s Ultra-Low-Profile Mechanical switches. Each switch features a true actuation and reset point. Key presses are registered with 65 grams of force, mimicking the feel of full-size mechanical keyboards. The keyboard, trackpad, extended monitors are also Powered by Razer Chroma, which unlocks a virtually endless array of dazzling lighting effects that can be customized by the user or synced to in-game events.

Similar to Razer’s newest systems, Project Valerie equipped with Nvida GeForce GTX 1080 exceeds the minimum hardware requirements of HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, making it one of the most immersive, mobile VR-ready devices for enthusiasts and developers.

“Multi-monitor desktop set-ups are becoming more necessary for professionals, creators, and gamers,” says Tan. “For the first time, we’ve engineered a solution that users can take with them. Project Valerie promises all of the functionality of three screens and none of the hassle.”

source: interaksyon.com

WORLD’S FIRST LIQUID-COOLED LAPTOP | Republic of Gamers pushes gaming to the extreme

MANILA, Philippines — Republic of Gamers (ROG), the World’s undisputed No. 1 gaming laptop, celebrates its 10th Anniversary with a bang with the much-anticipated launch of its most powerful laptop yet, the ROG GX700.

With unmatched specs and industry-leading innovations, the Republic of Gamers rocks the entire gaming industry with the ROG GX700′s liquid-cooled design — a world’s first — guaranteeing users a gaming experience like never before.

With such an incredible feat, the Republic of Gamers makes another unprecedented move by inviting only a select few to get to experience for themselves just how powerful and one-of-a-kind this gaming laptop is.

Only 20 of the country’s most avid and top gamers and hardcore users will only be able to exclusively get their hands on this limited-edition beast of a machine as it set to hit the Philippine shores. These very few, lucky individuals – collectively, the “Legendary 20” – will surely make history as one of the first people to experience the powerhouse gaming device that is the ROG GX700

The perks and the works: The ultra-exclusive ‘Legendary 20′

For the Legendary 20, the ROG GX700 is packed with an arsenal of accessories and items that will further highlight the exclusivity of this elite gaming group: an ROG Sica Gaming Mouse, ROG Command Case (a premium black luggage case that not only ensures that the ROG GX700 is kept safe, but also for the user to bring the ROG GX700 wherever you want in absolute comfort and style); a Personalized Legendary 20 Luggage Tag (a stylish bag tag that proudly displays the name of the respective owner) and finally, a Legendary 20 Jacket (a decked-out Legendary 20 signature-style jacket tailor-fit to the Legendary 20 member).

Aside from owning these items and the bragging rights of being one of the very few to own the majestic ROG GX700 not only in the Philippines, but also in the entire world, members of the exclusive Legendary 20 are also automatically entitled to top-notch perks and privileges including: VIP-access to any and all ROG-related events in the country, and participation in exclusive Legendary 20 activities, which includes a private DOTA tournament with an ROG endorser.

GX700 – Desktop class performance in a laptop 

The flagship GX700VO being the world’s first water-cooled gaming laptop is capable of overclocking because of its exclusive hydro overclocking system.

Powering up this beast is a powerful Intel Core i7-6820HK (Overclocking Unlocked) Quad-Core processor. When the laptop is docked to its water-cooling station, the said CPU can be overclocked to a remarkable 4GHz in stable voltage. In addition, the onboard 32GB DDR4 RAM at 2133MHz can also be overclocked as high as to 2800 MHz.

Of course graphics is also Best in Class. The ROG GX700VO is equipped with a desktop class NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 that has 8GB of GDDR5 VRAM. When water-cooled, it allows the chip to run in its full potential, thereby eliminating the bottleneck of low thermal headroom. Speed is not only in processing but also in storage on the GX700VO, which is packed with two 256GB NVMe PCIe SSD set-up in RAID0, allowing up to 3.5GB/s read/write speeds.

And highlighting the trump card of this notebook, the “Hydro Cooling System,” which made this notebook the world’s first water-cooled notebook, is the pinnacle of this year’s innovation for ASUS and ROG. Featuring two radiators, and a behemoth of fans with variable speed control through the built-in ROG Command Control Center software; the cooling module allows for the system to run cooler in idle, and be overclocked as wanted, or needed, and allows for a full desktop replacement for all those wanting to lug around a system that’s highly capable of Full-HD gaming.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Call of Duty’ video game blitzes on debut

SAN FRANCISCO, California — The latest “Call of Duty” video game boasted an opening weekend that blew away any other game, film, book or music debut this year, the company behind it said Wednesday.

“Call of Duty: Black Ops III” racked up more than $550 million in sales in the three days after its release on November 6, according to California-based Activision Publishing, a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard.

“Call of Duty’s millions of passionate fans have shown us, yet again, the strength of their commitment to this enduring franchise,” said Activision Blizzard chief executive Bobby Kotick.

It was “the biggest entertainment launch this year in any medium, and bigger than any theatrical opening weekend ever,” he added.

Fans played the game online for more than 75 million hours, setting a new record for the blockbuster franchise.

Black Ops III is the 12th game in the series, testimony to its longevity and ability to reinvent itself, all the while earning it a loyal following of tens of millions of fans.

“Our fans are engaging more deeply with the franchise than ever before,” said Activision Publishing chief executive Eric Hirshberg.

“Call of Duty is more than a game, it’s a year round passion for a growing base of millions of fans and it’s only gaining momentum.”

The latest mission in the first-person shooter franchise sends players into a “dark and twisted future.”

For Activision Blizzard, the latest revamp of its gaming megahit aimed to revive stagnating sales and came hot on the heels of an announcement that it is buying the maker of the addictive “Candy Crush Saga,” King Digital Entertainment, for $5.9 billion — tapping into a market of half a billion gamers worldwide.

Zombie mode

This time the action is set in the year 2065. Climate change has spawned fierce competition over scarce resources. Highly effective anti-aircraft systems mean fighting is on the ground, and often in covert or “black” operations.

The game launched across an array of consoles and PCs.

“Call of Duty: Black Ops III is off to a great start,” said Bob Puzon, senior vice president of merchandising for US retail chain GameStop.

“The game’s story line, new features and intense zombie mode have helped make it our most successful title launch so far this year.”

“Black Ops III” was created by Treyarch studio and published by Activision.

And while the latest incarnation harks back to recent episodes, notably with shades of 2014′s Advanced Warfare, it is a far cry from its debut based on World War II action.

Advances in consoles mean that for the first time the “Campaign” — the main narrative of the game — can be played with friends. It also features women soldiers.

As usual the game offers over-the-Internet multiplayer battles as well, not to mention “Zombies” mode as gamers look to survive attacks from hordes of the living dead.

Activision uses three developer studios so a new “Call of Duty” title is available each year.

source: interaksyon.com

Amazon snaps up live video startup Twitch for $970 million

SAN FRANCISCO — Amazon.com Inc snapped up live-streaming gaming network Twitch Interactive for about $970 million in cash, reflecting Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos’ resolve to transform Amazon into an Internet destination beyond its core retail operations.

The move, announced by the two companies on Monday, is the largest deal in Amazon’s 20-year history and will help the U.S. e-commerce company vie with Apple Inc and Google Inc in the fast-growing world of online gaming, which accounts for more than 75 percent of all mobile app sales. 


The acquisition involves some retention agreements that push the deal over $1 billion, a source close to the deal told Reuters.

“Twitch will further push Amazon into the gaming community while also helping it with video and advertising,” Macquarie Research analyst Ben Schachter said in a note.

Twitch’s format, which lets viewers message players and each other during live play, is garnering interest as one of the fastest-growing segments of digital video streaming, which in turn is attracting more and more advertising dollars.

The deal, expected to close in the second half of the year, is an unusual step for Amazon, which tends to build from within or make smaller acquisitions. Tech rival Google was earlier in talks to buy Twitch, which launched slightly more than three years ago, one person briefed on the deal said.

Neither Amazon nor Twitch would discuss how the deal came together or comment on Google’s interest.

In an interview, Twitch Chief Executive Officer Emmett Shear said the startup contacted Amazon because its deep pockets and ad sales expertise would allow the startup to pursue its strategic objectives more quickly.

“The reason why we reached out to Amazon, the reason I thought working for Amazon, having Twitch being a part of Amazon, would be a great idea for us (because) they would give us the resources to pursue these things that we honestly already want to pursue and they’d let us do it faster,” Shear said.

Ethan Kurzweil, a partner at Bessemer Ventures, which has backed Twitch since its earliest days, said Amazon’s expertise in developer platforms through Amazon Web Services gave it a window into Twitch’s potential growth.

“They understand the power of engaged developer platforms,” he said, noting Twitch’s popularity with game developers and publishers was as important as its popularity with consumers.

Bessemer provided Twitch an introduction to Frank Quattrone, a banker at boutique investment bank Qatalyst Partners, with a view to “catalyzing interest in Twitch,” Kurzweil said.

Quattrone advised Amazon on its 1997 initial public offering.

Twitch raised $20 million in funding last September from game publisher Take-Two Interactive Software and firms such as Bessemer Venture Partners and Thrive Capital.

Other venture backers include Alsop Louie Partners and Draper Associates.

More than 55 million unique visitors viewed more than 15 billion minutes of content on Twitch in July.

Some video game live casters on Twitch have embedded links to the Amazon’s online store. Analysts said the deal may result in more product tie-ins and a deeper integration with Amazon Instant Video and Amazon devices like the Kindle Fire tablet and recently launched Fire TV set-top box.

Twitch and Amazon did not disclose details on new retail opportunities for Amazon through Twitch’s network of gamers.

“We have lots of ideas we’ve discussed, there’s a lot of interest and a number of things we can pursue,” Michael Frazzini, VP of Amazon Games, said in an interview.

(Reporting by Deepa Seetharaman and Malathi Nayak; additional reporting by

source: interaksyon.com

Top 10 Big-Screen Games for Lumia 1320 and 1520

The Nokia Lumia 1320 and Nokia Lumia 1520 both have one thing in common; they both pack six-inch displays – ideal for pinning more tiles to your Start screen and adding an extra dimension to gaming, as these ten top titles prove.

GTA: San Andreas – Php 305.00

We all know Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, right? It’s one of the best-selling games ever, and now taking control of the streets, and the local gangs, is easier on the jumbo-screen Nokia Lumia 1320 or Lumia 1520.

Don’t just take our word for it, read this five-star user review:

“Simply awesome on the Lumia 1520… frankly any game you play on the 1520 is just amazing. The size and full-HD screen quality is out of this world.”

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Wordament – Free

Wordament is a great game, regardless of which device you’re using. However, a bigger screen makes it even easier to pluck out those words from the game board.

Confronted by a four-by-four grid of tiles, each one containing a letter (or sometimes more), you must trace your finger across them to spell out words – as many as you can – in the two-minute timeframe.

Played completely online you compete against thousands of other players simultaneously, who are also locked into the same game board.

An addictive game where you’ll often find yourself muttering, “One more try…”

Halo: Spartan Assault – Php 305.00

Part of the Halo franchise, Halo: Spartan Assault throws you into a universe full of combat and survival.

Rather than the typical first-person-shooter view you’re familiar with in other Halo games, Spartan Assault delivers a new top-down view approach, which is ideal for mobile gaming.

On a bigger screen explosions look more destructive, lasers look extra intense, and you’re less likely to miss an alien sneaking up on you.

Angry Birds Go! – Free

When it comes to avian-related games, there’s little better than Angry Birds.

However, rather than the usual bird-catapult-pig-face interaction, Angry Birds Go! is a downhill racing game.

Starting with a standard soapbox car, you can add modifications as you progress through the races to eventually build a super car – even one that flies!

Each Angry Birds character has a special ability that, when used wisely during a race, will help you in your conquest for first place.

Playing on a bigger screen allows for a greater chance of noticing overtaking opponents, giving you plenty of opportunity to nudge them out of the way before you steam to victory.

Asphalt 8: Airborne – Free

What’s better than speeding around a virtual racecourse, performing stunts and surviving crashes? Doing it all on a bigger screen!

Asphalt 8: Airborne puts you in the driving seat of 47 high-performance cars. It uses a clever physics engine that gives an experience of what it might be like to be behind the wheel of one of these cars. From the comfort of your couch, of course.

Dungeon Hunter 4 – Free

Immerse yourself into a world of role-play, dungeons and demons, all of which looks simply glorious on a big-screen Lumia.

Choose from four character classes, each with a unique combat style, then fight shoulder to shoulder with other players from around the world. Play in co-op mode, or come face-to-face with opponents as you show off your battle skills in PvP mode.

As with many RPGs, you kill, you loot, you win to save the kingdom – hopefully. Onwards!

Doors – Free

An unusual game but one that, once you start playing, you won’t put down.

The premise is this: you’re stuck in a room, the only exit is out through the closed door in front of you. In order to open that door you must first complete a task by solving hidden mysteries.

Some levels may require you to turn the phone upside down, enter the right keypad combination, or correctly match eight pairs of animal cards without getting one wrong. As you’d expect, the difficulty level increases as you progress.

The more screen space you’ve got, the more details you’ll notice to complete the tasks ahead.

Battle Monkeys – Free

Imagine a world that’s not ruled by humans, but monkeys (we reckon that’ll make a good film…). Can’t picture it? No problemo, that’s why Battle Monkeys was built.

To become the most powerful primate you must fight with other apes to show your strength and dominance.

With 3D graphics and multiplayer action, this is a joy to play on a large-screen Lumia.

Tetris Blitz – Free

A classic game that’s stood the test of time. The latest iteration, Tetris Blitz, is just as much fun as the game of old, but comes loaded with added extras.

Like before, position the falling bricks to stack nicely against other blocks. When a line is complete, it’s bye-bye row! What’s new is the ability to collect power-ups, such as lasers, magnets and time shifting properties to clean up the board faster.

Watching the vibrant blocks, explode when you complete a level, replete with celebratory fireworks look wonderful on a large six-inch screen.

Strata – Php 130.00

 

This is a uniquely elegant puzzle game that requires you to overlay colored ribbons onto a colored canvas. Unusual-sounding? Yes. Calming and cathartic? Absolutely.

As you interact with the screen and position the ribbon into place, softly played piano keys deliver a meditative sense It’s brilliantly done and works really well on a large screen.

If you’ve got a Nokia Lumia 1320 or Nokia Lumia 1520, take advantage of their super-sized screens and give all of these games a try – you won’t regret it.

Nokia Lumia 1320 and Nokia Lumia 1520 are now available in the Philippines for (SRP) Php17,900 and Php34,990 respectively.

source: philstar.com

WeChat announces latest version, 3 new games

MANILA, Philippines — Mobile app WeChat announced the launch of the latest version of the popular social messaging application on Thursday, revealing three new games, animated stickers, an expanded group chat feature, and a complementary app to enhance photos.

“We want to offer WeChat users a very, very exciting mobile, social experience,” said WeChat business development manager Steve Zheng.

Free for download through the Games section of the app are Gunz Dash, 2Day’s Match, and Craz3 Match.

Side-srolling race game Gunz Dash is, in event host Spanky Enriquez’s words, WeChat’s version of Super Mario. To rescue a girl captured by a vampire, users may assume the character of any of the three heroes as they slide and jump through the obstacle course: “cute and sometimes clumsy” Kattie, “blonde beauty” Nikita, and “passionate and strong” Leo. They are accompanied by pets, as well.

With 2Day’s Match, users match similar tiles as fast as they can to kiddie-party background music.

Craz3 Match, meanwhile, has users matching animal faces in groups of three or more in WeChat’s version of Bejewelled and Candy Crush.

These are only usable when online, however, as they were designed to add to social messaging experience, said Zheng.

Animated stickers also make conversations more fun. Some of the newest characters include Frog and Horse, “crazy friends who escaped from the zoo (who) super love to dance”; Sinkcomic, “famous webcomic artist from Taiwan”; and Puppy, an adorable creature who’ll make a stressful day better.

StoryCam, a free complementary app, allows users to tell the stories behind their photos. They can add real-time, location-based information; alter their photos using any of 13 filters; put watermarks; and share easily through chat, e-mail, or Moments. The latter is similar to profile pages on social media sites, which features snippets of the user’s daily life. Liking and commenting are enabled, too.

Group chat has been expanded to accommodate 100 members, too.

Other changes made include the ability to save users’ favorite text and voice messages, photos, and videos to Favorite Messages, “the first cloud-based storage service on mobile communication apps”; and integration with Gmail.

The new 5.1 version of WeChat may be used on the latest versions of iOS and Android, as well as on BlackBerry, Symbian, and Windows Phone operating systems, too. Downloading is free on these markets, and on PC, as well.

WeChat, developed by Chinese company Tencent International Service Pte. Ltd., has seen a 2,000-percent growth in the Philippines from May, when the first television commercial was rolled out, to August last year. Zheng, however, did not give the numbers of Filipino users.

Nevertheless, the app already has 500 million registered users as of July last year, including 100 million users outside China.

Citing findings from Google Trends, Zheng added that WeChat was the most searched social messaging app, as well as the third most searched mobile app, in the Philippines.

source: interaksyon.com

Microsoft sells over a million Xbox Ones in under 24 hours

Microsoft Corp sold over 1 million of its new Xbox One game consoles within 24 hours of their hitting store shelves on Friday, on par with Sony Corp’s PlayStation 4 despite launching in far more countries.

The new console, which launched in 13 countries, set a record for first-day Xbox sales and is currently sold out at most retailers, Microsoft said in a statement.

Sony said it sold 1 million PS4 units in 24 hours after launching last Friday in just the United States and Canada. The PS4 expands to other regions, including Europe, Australia and South America, from November 29. It then hits Japan in February.

Microsoft is locked in a console war with Sony this holiday season. The software giant hopes the Xbox One not only entices gamers but attracts a broader consumer base of TV fans and music lovers with its interactive entertainment features and media apps.

“We are working hard to create more Xbox One consoles,” said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of marketing and strategy at Xbox.

Robert W. Baird & Co analyst Colin Sebastian has said he expects shipments of 2.5 million to 3 million units for both the Xbox One and PS4 in the fourth quarter.

Both the PS4, priced at $399 in the United States, and the Xbox One, with a price tag of $499, offer improved graphics for realistic effects, processors that allow faster game play and a slew of exclusive video games.

source: interaksyon.com

How gamemaker gets players to pay

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — With 100 million people logging on every day for a fix of its games like Candy Crush Saga, global gamemaker King is showing rivals not just how to hook players, but how to get them to pay.

King is the latest among European tech firms like Rovio, creator of mega-hit Angry Birds, and Mojang, behind Minecraft, to make it big on the global gaming scene. But its stunning profitability in an industry littered with firms who failed to make money from popular games has made it a totem for others seeking to emulate its success.

King’s focus on the multi-billion dollar mobile games market – creating short, addictive puzzles for the fastest-growing part of the gaming industry – has helped it reap profits rare in its field. Though the company does not publish numbers, industry experts have estimated its revenues at $1 million-$3 million a day. Media reports now talk about an IPO valuation of $5 billion after a source recently said the company had filed to go public in the United States.

King was set up in Sweden a decade ago by friends working at the same tech startup and got 34 million euros funding from Apax Partners and Index Ventures in 2005. It has been profitable since, a fact that analysts put down to its ability to persuade players to pay several times over to continue the same game. Its “freemium model”, in which games are free but players can pay for add-ons or extra lives, has been particularly effective because of the success of Candy Crush, described by some analysts as a global phenomenon.

“Candy Crush is one of the biggest mass market consumer games in years,” said Adam Krejcik at Eilers Research in California. “They have been profitable for a while. This game has certainly brought them into a new category.”

The puzzle game, in which players line up gleaming 3-D sweets to knock out jelly, chocolate and liquorice, is available online, on smartphone and Facebook. It has held the No. 1 spot for apps on Facebook for nine months and is Apple’s top-grossing U.S. app, more popular than Spotify and TripAdvisor. King also says it is considering new platforms for the game such as smart TV.

Globally, mobile game revenues generated through Apple iOS & Google Playstore are expected to exceed $10 billion this year, according to Krejcik. Roughly half of those are revenues generated by seven publishers including King, DeNa, GungHo Online and Electronic Arts.




Bite-sized

According to King’s Chief Creative Officer Sebastian Knutsson, Candy Crush is addictive because it’s equal parts pain and fun and fits consumers’ short attention span.

“We talk internally about.. bite-sized entertainment, and we think that fits the mobile generation of today… short game rounds as opposed to having a super deep, long game,” he said.

Knutsson, one of the five founders of King who between them hold 25 percent, is also part of the 10-strong Swedish team that came up with Candy Crush. It combines elements of other popular games – the shiny graphics of Bejewelled, the candies of Candy Land and the grid-like action of Tetris.

“Candies felt like something that everybody would have a positive feeling about.. And I wanted something that could have shine and glossiness without being something unattainable,” Knutsson told Reuters in a Stockholm office where meeting rooms have names like Bubble Witch Lair, after the game.

Players lured by the appealing graphics of Candy Crush can pay for more lives, or must wait for 30 minutes before they may start again – though some cheat and move the clocks on their smartphones ahead so they can continue. The game’s appeal was broadened by its social aspect: Players can share their progress on Facebook, swapping lives as well as tips on how to crack the various levels. Others share their pain: “Die Candy Crush. Die.” writes one player, stuck at level 60, on King’s Facebook page.

King says its decision last year to shift its focus to its mobile platform was pivotal because that market was booming and the game suited it well.

The candies worked well on mobile screens, Knutsson said. Analysts note the game is easy to hop in and out of, making it a good time killer for mobile players, yet offers new challenges to give players a new twist when they play again.

“We knew it would be big on Facebook but I think the mobile success is what really took us by surprise,” Knutsson said.

The game’s success led CEO of arch-rival Zynga, former Microsoft Corp Xbox boss Don Mattrick to admit: “I’ll fess up, I’m a candy crush player and I’ve enjoyed it.”

California-based Zynga’s trajectory demonstrates the fate of many others in the industry. In 2009 it developed social game FarmVille – a huge hit in which players harvested crops and raised livestock – but is now struggling to make money from it because it is still based on Facebook as players migrate in droves to mobile. Zynga’s stock price has slumped 65 percent since a high-profile $1 billion IPO two years ago and it is now slashing staff numbers while closing offices.


Next level

Market researcher Newzoo estimates global game revenues across all platforms to reach $86.1 billion by 2016 as the number of gamers reaches 1.55 billion. It expects the fastest growth to come from mobile gaming, which will make up almost 30 percent of the total, up from about 17 percent this year.

Accordingly King – currently offering 150 games and boasting more than a billion gameplays each day – is lining up its next mobile games, readying alternatives for when its immense audience is no longer as mesmerized by its cascading candies.

Analysts expect the company to launch a mobile version of Farm Heroes Saga, a game in which players must match 3 items, which is already Facebook’s second-most popular app. King is already starting to roll out a mobile version of Papa Pear Saga, currently available on the web and on Facebook, in which players bounce and dive into barrels.

In the meantime, it plans to build on growth in Asia, the latest market to succumb to Candy Crush, which is gaining popularity there along with Supercell’s Clash of Clans.

“These are really the first western productions to break into the top 10 or the top 20 in the app store in Japan,” said David Gibson, a senior analyst at Macquarie in Tokyo.

source: interaksyon.com

NBA 2K14 dribbles off shelves in October

MANILA, Philippines — NBA season is very much alive, as NBA 2K14 hits Philippine stores this October.

Fans of the classic basketball series expect the best, most innovative version of their favorite basketball series.

“It’s going to be bigger and better for 2K14,” says Ron Aquino, general manager of X-Play. “Fans will literally and figuratively be on their toes when they navigate through this exciting and definitely exhilarating game.”

How exactly is the latest version of the game different? “The physics of the game are better,” said Allen Amparo, product manager of X-Play Online Games, Inc. “One can almost mistake this version as a real NBA game going on TV, with the movement of the players being more fluid, and details being more visible including tattoos, jerseys, and textures, while watching the game. There are also changes with movement, upper body, and even on-air. Fans can also expect a new soundtrack.”

Cover athlete of this NBA 2K series is back-to-back NBA Champion and current King of Basketball, Lebron James. He is also the music curator of the game.

NBA 2K14 is available on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. With the use of social network, one can link their personal gaming account to Facebook and Twitter, and join a whole community of gamers who can update each other on their results. The game is also in-synchronization with VITA and YouTube, where one can save a play.

NBA 2K14 is exclusively marketed by X-Play Online Games Inc., one of the country’s main video game distributors, together with game publishing leader 2K Sports, and is developed by Visual Concepts. Other games to launch locally from the brand include WWE in November.

source: interaksyon.com

Nintendo to stop making Wii console for Japan market

TOKYO — Japanese game console maker Nintendo said Wednesday it will stop making its Wii console for the Japanese market, but will keep producing it internationally.

The move to abandon the home console, which competes with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3, will allow Nintendo to focus its efforts on its successor.

“Our new generation Wii U console is already on the market and allows users to play software originally designed for the Wii,” a Nintendo spokesman told AFP.

“So this is part of the transition of our products to new models,” he said.

The company will keep producing Wii for markets abroad including its cheaper version Wii mini, he said.

Since its release in 2006 Wii has sold more than 100 million units worldwide.

The Wii disrupted the world of consoles on its launch, with its emphasis on family-orientated gaming that made use of wireless controllers fitted with accelerometers.

These controllers, which sparked the production of games where players could actually mimic the body movements of a sport or playing a musical instrument, were widely copied.

Nintendo launched the Wii U console late last year, although analysts said a lack of games took away some of the fizz the company had been hoping for after its 3DS console saw disappointing demand abroad.

Nintendo, maker of the iconic Donkey Kong and Super Mario brands, has been locked in a war with Sony and Microsoft, makers of the PlayStation and Xbox video game consoles, for dominance of a sector worth about $44 billion a year.

Nintendo swung to a net profit of $88 million in the three months to June as a weakening yen helped inflate its overseas result.

source: interaksyon.com

Buffett's Dividend Secret

CHIBA, Japan — The latest version of blockbuster videogame Grand Theft Auto may have stoked a worldwide buying frenzy, but the ultra-violent offering is likely to be a minnow in Japan’s vast gaming market.
Shoot-em-up offerings from abroad often struggle to gain traction in the multi-billon-dollar Japanese videogame sector where fantasy-style games reign supreme and sell in the millions — though many in the West have not heard of them.

They include the hugely popular Monster Hunter franchise, which has sold 23 million copies and counting since its debut a decade ago.

“But most of them were sold in Japan even though we did make an English version,” said a spokeswoman for game creator Capcom.

Language translation problems and cultural differences were among the reasons cited for the struggles of foreign game operators in Japan, a rift that was apparent as gamers flocked to the Tokyo Game Show this week.

Over 600 games titles were on offer at the four-day extravaganza that wraps up Sunday.

Though Japan once dominated the worldwide market with the likes of Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog, the country appears to be looking increasingly inward.

“The main trends of the videogame market in Japan are divided into two categories: major worldwide successes like Pokemon, Final Fantasy or Biohazard, and games that are specifically designed for core Japanese gamers,” said the Asia Trend Map institute, pointing to the “overwhelming dominance of games made in Japan”.

A blockbuster offering based on the popular comic book “Shonen Jump” reflects a common theme in which many Japanese games are centred around a character well known in multiple media platforms, from so-called manga cartoons and movies to music and television series.

Namco Bandai’s AKB 1/149 Renai Sosenkyo, a popular dating simulation game, is the kind of title known to most at home but with little name familiarity abroad — AKB48 is the name of a well-known girl band.

“The title isn’t suited to foreign markets,” said Namco Bandai spokesman Toshiaki Honda.

Even Japanese giant Sony is releasing its PlayStation 4 abroad before its hits store shelves in Japan — a first — with executives saying that titles expected to be hits at home won’t be ready in time.

Eiji Araki, senior official of mobile social game maker Gree, added: “We’ve learned that characters and visuals favoured in the United States are different from those in Japan.”

For some, the unique character of Japan’s gaming market encapsulates the country’s so-called Galapagos Syndrome in which firms concentrate almost solely on the domestic market.

The take up in Japan on Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones trailed huge sales abroad as many mobile carriers focused on homegrown flip-phone offerings.

While iPhone is now selling well in Japan, a ride on the Tokyo subway underscores another unique aspect of the nation’s gaming market — a love of handheld gaming devices.

Commuters on the city’s vast transportation network are frequently seen thumbing away on portable devices to pass the time while, at home, consoles outpace the rising popularity abroad of playing games on personal computers

For one official at Japan’s Computer Entertainment Rating Organisation, the love of fantasy and role-playing games in low-crime Japan stands in stark contrast to Grand Theft Auto’s brutal depictions of urban violence.

“Japanese consumers prefer family-use games to those with violent, anti-social or extreme expressions of sexuality,” she said.

A report by Internet firm GMO Cloud characterises the difference as “self-escapism versus self-expression”.

True or not, Grand Theft Auto is undoubtedly violent, especially when compared to Nintendo’s award-winning “Animal Crossing: New Leaf” in which players take on the role of a mayor running a rural community.

By contrast, past versions of Grand Theft Auto have included simulated sex with prostitutes and drunken driving, along with profanity-packed dialogue. Carjacking, gambling and killing are the staples of a game in which players take on the role of a psychopathic killer in fictional Los Angeles.

When Grand Theft Auto IV was released five years ago it blew away videogame and Hollywood records by taking an unprecedented $500 million in the week after its release, and it shows few signs of slowing with the game’s fifth incarnation released days ago.

Despite its foreign pedigree, Hisakazu Hirabayashi, of Tokyo-based consultancy firm InteractKK, said he still expects the newest Grand Theft Auto to have relative success among Japanese consumers, at least “for a Western game”.

source: interaksyon.com

Grand Theft Auto V starts strong with $800 million in first-day sales

SAN FRANCISCO — “Grand Theft Auto V,” the fifth installment of the video game that became a focal point of debate about gratuitous violence and explicit content in the media, came out guns blasting with $800 million in global first-day sales.

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc’s most lucrative franchise went on sale at midnight on Tuesday.

The sales figure marked a first-day record for the Grand Theft Auto series in which players freely roam, mainly via automobiles, in a game world based on real-life locations such as Los Angeles.

Take-Two shares closed up 1.2 percent at $17.20. The stock has climbed 12 percent since July when the company raised its fiscal 2014 forecast and the buzz grew louder around the game’s September release.

Retail revenues of $800 million would translate to sales of about 13 million to 14 million units of the game, analysts estimated.

“The last major Grand Theft Auto title sold just under 13 million in the course of the year. This did that in a day,” said Daniel Ernst, an analyst at Hudson Square Research. The sales beat his expectations.

The 16-year-old Grand Theft Auto franchise has won numerous awards and become embedded in popular culture over the years. The criminal drama and action-adventure series has also stirred its share of controversy over the violent and adult nature of its content.

The game, which costs $60, has been given a “Mature” rating by the industry group that rates video game content in the U.S, meaning it can only be purchased by gamers older than 17.

“Grand Theft Auto IV” was released in 2008, and gamers had eagerly awaited the fifth installment. It took more than five years to be developed by Take-Two’s Rockstar Games studio, at a cost of between $200 million and $250 million, according to some analysts’ estimates.

The debut now ranks as among the industry’s strongest. Last year, Activision Blizzard Inc’s “Call Of Duty: Black Ops II” raked in $500 million on its first day.

Other blockbuster titles from top-selling franchises such as “Call of Duty” and Nintendo’s “Mario” games sell more than 20 million copies in a year, Ernst said.

“We’re looking for 23 million units of games sold by March 2014 and we won’t change that, but $800 million in the first day is phenomenal,” said Mike Hickey, an analyst at the Benchmark Company.

Does it have legs?

Game fans flocked to retail stores around the world at midnight before the game’s release on Tuesday. Analysts had estimated that more than 7 million units had been pre-ordered before the release.

“Grand Theft Auto V” is available on Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 consoles, owned by over 160 million gamers.

The video game industry, which has been struggling with flagging sales, is awaiting the November release of Microsoft Corp’s Xbox One and Sony Corp’s PlayStation 4, in the hope that new hardware will boost sales.

Take-Two has yet to announce a version of “Grand Theft Auto V” for those next-generation consoles. The arrival of the new technology could create a “friction point” for continued sales, Benchmark’s Hickey said.

“The focus should now be about the sustainability and whether the title has legs,” Arvind Bhatia, a Sterne Agee analyst, said. “Indications are it probably does, as critics and consumers love it, retailers are supporting it in a big way and the installed base of current-generation consoles is very large. But we’ll have to see in coming weeks.”

source: interaksyon.com

Sony says it has over 1 million preorders for PlayStation 4

COLOGNE, Germany — Sony has had more than 1 million preorders worldwide for its new PlayStation 4 console, the head of its SCE computer entertainment division said on Tuesday.

SCE Chief Executive Andrew House added that the console will be available from November 15 in North America and will hit stores in Europe from November 29.

“The response we have received is nothing short of incredible,” he said at a news conference on the sidelines of Gamescom, Europe’s biggest videogames fair.

He added the console will be available in 32 countries worldwide during the holiday season.

Microsoft Corp has said it will start selling its latest console at some point in November, intensifying competition ahead of the year-end holidays and gift-giving season.

Sony has priced the PlayStation 4, its first new console in seven years, $100 lower than the new Xbox One by Microsoft at $399.

Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One in May, its first new gaming console in eight years, marking its strongest push so far to dominate consumers’ living rooms with an array of exclusive media content.

Microsoft Europe’s Vice President of Interactive Entertainment Chris Lewis said on Tuesday preorders for the Xbox One were “unprecedented” but declined to give more details.

Sony said it would also cut the retail price for its PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita devices to $199 in the United States and 199 euros ($270) in Europe.

Previously the Vita was 249 euros and the PlayStation 3 was 229 euros.

source: interaksyon.com

Nvidia delays new game device after finding problem

SAN FRANCISCO — Nvidia Corp is delaying sales of its new handheld game gadget, a setback in the chipmaker’s bid to use its appeal with personal computer gamers to challenge console makers like Sony Corp and Microsoft Corp.

On Wednesday, a day before the scheduled launch, Nvidia said it had discovered a “mechanical issue” in the Shield multimedia device, which lets users play Android and PC games using either the built-in screen or on their TVs.

It will be shipped in July.




Nvidia’s graphics chips are well-known to enthusiasts in their 20s who deck out desktop computers with high-end components to get the best out of first-person shooters and other games.

The Santa Clara, California company hopes some of those customers will also be drawn to Shield, which uses Nvidia’s Tegra 4 mobile chip, has a pop-up retina display, and runs the same games as those on Android tablets and smartphones.

The portable device also shows movies, plays music, stores e-books, and can be used to surf the Web.

As PC sales suffer from the growing popularity of tablets, Nvidia has staked its future on using its PC graphics expertise to make high-performance processors for mobile devices.

Last week Nvidia cut the price of the Shield to $299 from $349.

source: interaksyon.com

Sony takes on Microsoft, prices new PS4 below Xbox One

LOS ANGELES — Sony Corp on Monday priced its latest PlayStation 4 console $100 lower than the new Xbox One by rival Microsoft Corp as competition for gamers’ pockets intensifies ahead of the year-end holidays and gift-giving season.

Sony said it would sell the latest PlayStation model for $399 late in the year shortly after Microsoft announced a $499 price tag for its first new Xbox in eight years and said it would go on sale in the United States in November.

Sony also drew cheers from the audience at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles when it said the PS4 would run second-hand games and did not require an always-on Internet connection.

Microsoft had earlier elicited groans from gamers when it announced restrictions on used games for the Xbox One and said players had to log onto the Internet for authentication.

“The PlayStation 4 won’t impose any new restrictions on used games,” said Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America as the audience whistled and applauded.

Microsoft and Sony hope the consoles will attract new fans and retain users who are increasingly playing games on smartphones and other mobile devices, gradually diminishing the $66 billion video game business. Both companies are also offering more entertainment options.

The Xbox 360 is currently the best-selling gaming console in the United States, but global sales are almost on par with the PlayStation 3.

The new Xbox and PlayStation are both pricier than the $300 Wii U which Nintendo Co Ltd launched late last year but which has sold poorly, partly due to a dearth of new gaming titles. Nintendo is expected to announce new games for the device at the E3 on Tuesday.

Sony did not give details about original programming content for the PS4 but said new game titles would include Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag by Ubisoft and Kingdom Hearts III by Disney Interactive Studios and Square Enix Holdings Co Ltd.

“It’s a very compelling price… given the entertainment PS4 will provide to gamers,” Sony Computer Entertainment President and CEO Andrew House told the E3 event.

The Xbox One is costlier than the current Xbox 360 and includes a Kinect motion sensor for hands-free game playing. Microsoft also announced several exclusive game titles, including a rendition of ‘Minecraft’ and a new installment in the popular ‘Halo’ franchise, which will be released in 2014.

The device will go on sale in 21 countries, including Britain, before the year-end holidays, the company said. Yusuf Mehdi, an executive at Microsoft’s interactive entertainment unit, did not set any sales targets for the new Xbox.

(Writing by Bill Rigby; Editing by Gary Hill and Miral Fahmy)

source: interaksyon.com

Razer connects gamers worldwide

Razer recently announced the open beta release of Razer Comms, an all-in-one communications solution for gamers.

Applying feedback gleaned from a community-based closed beta program, Razer Comms now combines VoIP client, instant messaging and IRC-chat features, allowing gamers the world over to connect with one service, free of charge. It also features an in-game overlay and seamlessly integrates with PC games, providing for uninterrupted gameplay while at the same time typing or talking with friends.

Razer Comms uses complex audio algorithms and an ultra-fast server infrastructure to deliver precise, crisp and clear communication with no timeouts or lag spikes, and it features advanced noise reduction and echo cancelation, a boon to millions of PC gamers worldwide.

Razer Comms originated as an internal project built on the spare “10 percent passion time” of a couple of engineers. After receiving many fan requests to make it widely available, Razer Comms has now become a fully supported project with a designated team working on it.

Razer encourages every user to continue submitting feedback to help determine the most sought after features and improve Razer Comms further. For more information on Razer’s latest free-to-download software, including how to submit ideas, go to www.razerzone.com/comms.

source: interaksyon.com

Candy Crush players warned vs ‘dubious’ Android apps

MANILA, Philippines — It was only a matter of time, but security experts have already issued warning against “dubious” applications trying to latch on to the success of Candy Crush, an Android game with Facebook integration that has already surpassed the likes of Farmville in terms of popularity in the social network.

In a security alert, Trend Micro Technical Communications Specialist Gelo Abendan warned that “dubious developers” have already started creating suspicious app that ride on the Candy Crush fame, which could become launchpads for malware attacks in the future.

Candy Crush Saga, a free mobile game developed by King.com, has amassed widespread popularity among users worldwide. It is a puzzle strategy game that requires players to connect matching “candies” to score points, and comes with a social component that makes the game a lot more addictive.

According to Abendan, Trend Micro was able to detect “adware” apps that contain code for the Leadbolt and Airpush ad networks, which were among the most prevalent form of adwares found in 2012.

“While not inherently malicious, adware can be abused by cybercriminals for their own gains. Adware not only uses aggressive advertising tactics such as persistent notifications, but also collects information about the user. This could be construed as a violation of the user’s privacy,” Abendan explained.

Some of the dubious apps detected by the security software company includes an app that offers tips and tricks for getting through the game, as well as another that recommends playing another game through persistent notifications. Trend Micro said the same kinds of apps have been detected for popular mobile applications such as Instagram, Bad Piggies, and Temple Run.

So as their device will not be hit with by one of the more than 1 million malicious Android apps predicted to hit devices this year, Trend Micro suggests taking extra security precautions when installing apps on their devices, such as reading thoroughly through the app’s description page.

“Comments can be a goldmine of information, since you’ll know what other users are saying about their experience with the app. Once you install any apps, make sure that you check out the permissions that they are asking for,” Abendan added.

Touted as the most insecure mobile platform today thanks to its “openness,” Android has become a breeding ground for malware in the past several years, especially with the ease of distributing apps through the Google Play Store.

In 2012, 293,091 apps on the Android platform were found to be malicious and of these, 68,740 were found on the official Google Play store. Around 22% of these malicious apps were found to leak information about the user.

Such developments are crucial in a market like the Philippines, where one out of every four mobile phones are powered by the Android platform, and where games such as Candy Crush Saga enjoy a huge following.

source: interaksyon.com

6 Superb Retro Gaming Accessories for the iPad

There are a megacrapton load of really great retro games available for the iPad, but playing them on the tablet's sophisticated touchscreen can feel a little, well, wrong.

To add an authentic dose of vintage goodness to your iPad game-playing, we've found six superb gaming accessories that will bring some arcade action to your Apple tablet.

source: mashable.com

HandyGames now available for free on Nokia Asha Touch

MANILA, Philippines - Enjoying your fun and affordable Nokia Asha Touch smartphone? Wait till you hear about the 35 new titles released by HandyGames and Nokia to ensure an even better mobile gaming experience for you.

Based in Giebelstadt, Germany, HandyGames is a developer and publisher of mobile games and has been producing award-winning games on various platforms since 2000.

Through its partnership with Nokia, HandyGames hopes to continue expanding to keep everybody entertained in the future.

To whet your appetite, here are some of the 35 new titles you can now discover and download for free from the Nokia Store:





• Aporkalypse. According to an old prophecy, the four Pigs of Doom should proclaim the end of the world in a distant future. But something went terribly wrong and the gates of heaven and hell have already opened. Now it is up to the greedy Hunger Pig, the heavily armed War Pig, the contaminous Pest Pig and the ghostly Death Pig to stop this madness.

• Arcadius. Stardate: 3024. The Earth has been attacked by hostile individuals and has been entirely destroyed; few survivors managed to board freight ships to safety. You are a spaceship fighter pilot. Avoid the security drones and pick up energy sources to upgrade your weapons. Prepare to fight for your life or to the death against the galactic invaders.

• Cyberlords – Arcology. It’s the year 2173. The power of government is in decline and the world is controlled by gigantic mega-corporations. People may have no political power, but they still have control over their own bodies. Powerful NanoGear implants grant superhuman abilities and transform bodies into deadly weapons.

• Guns’n’Glory. What would the Wild West have been without its charismatic villains? Boring. So take a walk in the cowboy boots of Billy the Kid, Jesse James or Butch Cassidy to become a real, low-down bad guy. Form your own gang by recruiting cool cowboys, crazy Mexicans and brave Indians.

• IQ Knights. Enter a chivalric fortress and face the challenging tasks that await you within each area of the castle. Solve all puzzles within these halls to convince the nobles that you have what it takes to be their new king! Arm yourself with your ancestors’ dice and use logic to win the day.

• My Model Train. You always wanted to become a train driver, but never had the space or the money for your own model railway in your hobby room? Then download My Model Train, the first highly detailed mobile train-simulation, to your handset. It’s your task to solve logistic problems as fast as possible by operating switches, signals and reversal-tracks.

• Panzer Panic. War has broken out on your notepad and your leadership ability is needed to beat the enemy in ferocious tank battles. Make use of the environment and move various obstacles to protect yourself from opposing ink fire or to block your enemy’s path. Destroy all opposing panzers by accurately shooting your ink bullets while making sure that you don’t run out of ink fuel.

• Romans and Barbarians. Render Rome a service and build up your own realm as a mighty emperor. Set up a powerful army and become a great general because of the threatening menace at the horizon: Wild barbarians are moving toward Rome to destroy your city and to steal your precious Sucus. Be well prepared for their warriors, shamans and hungry wolves.

• Tattoo Tycoon. Look behind the scenes of the tattoo culture and build your own tattoo empire. Set up a perfectly furnished studio and prove your skills at handling your employees and tattoo machine.

• The Egyptians. After an immense earthquake the land lacks a ruler and discontent leads to bloody battles among the tribes. An ancient god awakens and sends the lord of the scarabs, Khepera, back to earth. It’s time for an alliance of the tribes to fight together against the forces of evil and to free the land. It’s up to you to lead them and to accomplish a victory by using constructions, inventions and tactical warfare.

• Townsmen 4. The dark age has cast a spell over you. You find yourself in a small monastery, surrounded by pagan settlements and hostile monastic orders. Besides brewing and baking bread, it’s your daily task to convert as many souls as possible. You deal with sacred writings, say masses and recruit enough monks, who will help you lead the monastery to wealth and prestige.

• Voodomino. Learn black magic and play for your life. Voodomino spices up the traditional game of Dominoes with dark rituals and deadly curses. Play against your friends and lure them into sneaky traps. With luck on your side you can influence your future. Each tile has its own motif, from poisonous snakes to powerful Voodoo dolls. Can you acquire all the magic tiles?

So if you own a Nokia Asha Full Touch device such as the Nokia Asha 305, Nokia Asha 306, Nokia Asha 309 and Nokia Asha 311, visit the Nokia Store (http://store.nokia.com/) and download these exciting games.

source: philstar.com

Black Ops 2: Gamers claim they got early copies

Gamers have told Newsbeat they've managed to get copies of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 more than a week before its release.

The title is not due out until 13 November but on Friday three gamers showed Newsbeat copies of the game which they claimed were genuine.

They also said they knew a lot of people who already had it.

It's also been reported that it's become available to illegally download via torrent sites.

Gameplay videos have appeared on YouTube in recent weeks.

Cadz, 22, and Abdul, 25, said their physical copies of the game were genuine and claimed to have a receipt.


The pair said they got six copies from a friend and that "shops break release dates sometimes".

Newsbeat tried to contact Activision but they didn't want to comment on pirate copies or early releases.


Last month, Microsoft banned gamers caught with pirated versions of Halo 4 on the Xbox Live.

You've been commenting on this topic on Newsbeat's Facebook page. Here's a selection of your posts:

Ross Overton said: "Had Halo 4 about three weeks before it came out.

"These gaming companies should keep things more locked up then maybe people would not take advantage of getting it early and cheaper."

Sammy Tranter said: "I got a legit copy on Saturday from a PS3 retailer. Hooked on it already.

"Getting it early certainly does not mean getting it cheaper, as a few of you have speculated."

Joe Marshall said: "It's a joke, everyone should get it all on the same day, make the playing field even.

"I could have bought it early from a source but chose to wait as there was no point... I only play online too, which you can't do if you have it early."

source: bbc.co.uk